


We are young

by kitundercover



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, First Meeting, Fluff, M/M, Non famous boys, One Shot, security guard liam, wow that's a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-08
Updated: 2015-05-08
Packaged: 2018-03-29 15:27:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3901381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitundercover/pseuds/kitundercover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Harry works with flowers, Louis just wants to be somewhere else.<br/>---</p><p>Louis turned horrified eyes to his sisters. “I think we might have been lied too,” he whispered loudly.</p><p>There was a pause that went on for too long.</p><p>“Oh my god you knew!” He pointed an accusatory finger at the traitors.</p><p>The twins grinned evilly.</p><p>“Why would you do this to me?” He looked around wildly. “Oh my god, this isn’t a festival at all!”</p>
            </blockquote>





	We are young

**Author's Note:**

> There's no excuse for this. I don't know why I wrote it. I'm not sorry.

Louis surveyed the packed green grass of the carpark with a critical frown. If he was being totally honest, it didn’t look like a festival crowd.

To be more specific, it looked suspiciously like a large concentration of families and small children and elderly people. In fact, what it really looked like was that Louis had been tricked.

He turned to his grandmother who was cheerfully getting out of the car. “I thought you were just dropping us off?” He probed suspiciously.

“Well, it’s such a lovely day pet, I might take a quick look around.”

Louis turned horrified eyes to his sisters. “I think we might have been lied too.” He whispered loudly.

There was a pause that went on for too long.

“Oh my god you knew!” Louis pointed an accusatory finger at the traitors.

The twins grinned evilly.

“Why would you do this to me?” He looked around wildly. “Oh my god, this isn’t a festival at all!”

Phoebe giggled and grabbed his hand, “Yes it is Lou. Come on!”

He dug his feet in to the ground, pouting exaggeratedly. “No. You tricked me. I’m staying in the car.”

“No, you’re coming with us!” Daisy jumped forwards and grabbed his other hand, their combined weight successfully pulling him off his feet and down onto the track with a wet squelch.

The reedy cackle of his grandma joined the two traitors as he pulled himself back up, flicking chunks of mud off the sleeves of his band shirt. He looked down sadly at the dirty water soaking though his favorite jeans. No hope there then.

Louis glared over at the three of them. “Ok, now I’m defiantly not coming.”

“Oh cheer up you miserable sod,” his grandmother chuckled and smacked him up the side of the head.

“Hey!”

She huffed. “Teenagers these days.”

“I’m 22!”

“Of course you are dear. Look, Muriel’s waiting for me in carpark two. I’m trusting you to look after these two.” She gestured to where the smirking twins waited not-so-patiently by the car. “Be back here at three love, have fun!”

“What! No! Wait! No!” Louis shouted after her slowly retreating back. Another cackle drifted over the breeze.

“Come on Lou, come _on._ ” The girls leapt forwards again, and this time he let them pull him along, falling into line with the hordes of middle-class zombies lurching cheerfully towards their Sunday morning.

As they rounded a corner, a huge banner came into view.

He shut his eyes quickly.

 _If I can’t see it it’s not real._ He opened them a crack and then slammed them shut again. _Nope. No. Not real. Not real._

The girls pulled him ever on, and he was finally forced back into the real world by an angry mother after his third crash with her pushchair. Honestly, some people were so sensitive.

Which is why he was unable to avoid the enormous sign as they passed under it, heading into the heaving throng of colour and screaming babies. Louis scrubbed his eyes desperately, hoping for the words to change, but nothing would alter those terrible letters.

CHESHIRE SPRING FLOWER FESTIVAL

*

Louis weaved inexpertly through the crowds, shouting hurried ‘sorry’s’ to every person he careered into in his desperate attempt to keep up with his little sisters.

“Hurry up Lewis, we want to see the animals!” Daisy shouted over her shoulder as she dodged skilfully between an old couple and an open-fronted orchid tent.

“Daisy wait! Wait!” He shouted uselessly after her. This was not turning into type of day he’d planned.

He was red faced, panting and honestly starting to smell a little when he finally caught up with them next to the rabbit enclosure. With an exhausted sigh he plonked himself down onto an overturned bucket and shut his eyes.

The loud babble of the festival buzzed on around him, blending seamlessly with the happy squeals of Phoebe as she petted a large snowy rabbit. It was pretty cute, he admitted to himself grudgingly, but not cute enough to make up for this nightmare.

Louis shut his eyes again and let the sounds filter past - children screaming obnoxiously, horses snorting, the loud roar of a tractor's engine. Surely it was nearly three by now. He couldn't be certain, but he was fairly sure that he'd been here forever.

Louis was going to die at this fair. He knew it.

“Louis! Louis help! Crap! Help!”

Louis jerked his eyes open in surprise. _Daisy?! Phoebe?_ He suffered his most stressful moment yet before he finally set eyes on the pair - Daisy kneeling down next to a very large grey pig and Phoebe off to the side, jumping up and down like she needed the toilet.

“Phoebe?” He asked suspiciously. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong as far as he could tell. Certainly nothing that might cause a ten year-old to swear - people were still browsing the colourful flowers and stalls, the tractor show continued noisily behind them.

“Louis help!” Phoebe persisted, pulling at his sleeve. “The rabbit!”

“Huh?” Louis looked around quickly, just in time to catch sight of the large, white rabbit as it hopped through the crowds and into an orchid tent. “Shit!”

“Language!” Phoebe smirked.

 _Eugh._ Louis ignored her as he bolted for the rabbit, quickly dodging around small children and avid gardeners alike.

In a low crouch, he entered the dark tent, scooting round the edges with his eyes focused on the floor. “Bunny?” He called softly. “Here bunny bunny?!”

There didn’t seem to be anyone in there thankfully, so he dropped lower into an uncomfortable sort of scuttle and started peering under the tables, using his hands to help him get around.

“Bunny!” He shouted more loudly. “Where the shit are you, you daft rabbit!”

He turned sharply to check the other side of the tent and lost his balance, saving himself with his arms in a clumsy sort of hop.

“That’s the spirit. To catch a rabbit, first you must think like a rabbit.” _Shit!_ A slow drawl sounded from above him. It was attached to a pair of heavy boots that were currently only an inch away from his nose. “Whatcha doing little rabbit?”

 _Well this is embarrassing._ Louis scowled at the boots. “Do I look like a rabbit?”

There was a soft laugh. “Hmm, well you’re cute enough, but you don’t look so fluffy. You do look like you spend a lot of time on your knees though. Turn around so I can see if you have a tail?”

 _The fuck??_ Who the hell tells someone they looked good on their knees? Was that some sort of gross pick-up line?

"I'm afraid you aren't getting to see this arse mate."

"Pity."

 _Ewww. Louis_ sat back on his heels and looked up slowly.

Tight jeans with long legs, apron, solid, broad shoulders, and… Oh.

He glared at the man and jumped up angrily. “That’s my rabbit you’ve got there mate.”

“Is it?” The man grinned at him, all white teeth and pink lips. “We weren’t role-playing then?”

“No.” Louis gritted out. “We weren’t fucking _role-playing._ We were rabbit hunting. And you seem to have found mine.”

“Oh really?” The grin widened. ”Funny, I had the impression it was Sarah’s rabbit.”

Louis scrunched up his nose, why were the pretty ones always arseholes? “Sarah…?”

The man nodded over towards the petting area.

“Oh.” Louis deflated slightly. “Well yeah. Fine, it’s _Sarah’s_ rabbit, but it’s currently in my care, so if you _wouldn’t mind._ ” 

He held out his arms for the rabbit but the man only cuddled it closer, smirking in a way that _was absolutely not_ disturbingly attractive and nuzzling into the thick white hair. “Actually I do mind. I don’t think Jessica here likes you very much.”

Louis huffed. “I really don’t care.”

The man pouted. “Well now I’m not sure that _I_ like you very much.” He spun round to face the door and Louis was irritated to see that the back was _just_ as nice as the front. Possibly even more so, he thought grumpily. The man’s deep-brown hair was pulled up into a messy bun, his t-shirt clung tightly to a very firm back, and the jeans… Well Louis was in a family place right now, so he wasn’t going to think about the jeans.  

Twin giggles came from the door of the tent and Louis sighed heavily, resting his head in his hand. _Ah yes, the girls._

“Do these belong to you Sir?” A heavyset young man with coffee-brown eyes and broad shoulders – and more importantly, a sash with the word SECURITY on it – held each twin by the hand.

“Oh my god.” Louis moaned, slightly alarmed. _Could this day get any worse?_ “I’m so sorry, what did they do?”

The man frowned sternly. “This one-”

“Daisy.”

“Well Daisy here decided to let out all of the chickens, whilst the other one-”

“Phoebe.”

“Whilst Phoebe, took a joy ride in one of the tractors.”

_What._

“I… what?” Louis gaped at his sisters. “They did what?? How could she… I don’t—She’s only ten!!! What?!!”

He stared at the open, serious face of the security guard and then over to his new green-eyed friend. He wondered if he looked as shocked as the man with his rabbit.

_What._

The twins stared down at the grass floor of the tent, still clinging to the security guard.

There was a giggle.

And then another.

And just as Louis was about to get back on his knees and beg the security guard not to report them, the man himself gave the loudest snort that Louis had ever heard outside of a barn, and dissolved into his own fit of delighted giggles.

“Oh my god Liam!” The man still clutching _his_ rabbit spluttered from behind him, a broad grin slowly splitting his rubbish face. “You ass! I can’t believe you did that!” Louis jumped in surprise at the bizarre donkey laugh that came out of the man’s pretty mouth. _Is everyone at this fair part bovine or something?_

“I’m sorry!” The security guard - Liam, apparently _,_ held out his hand, still red faced with laughter. “I’m so sorry Sir, they said it would be worth it and it was!”

Louis took his hand mutely, politeness overruling his shock. _What?_ He opened and shut his mouth a few times, but apparently he was speechless. _That wasn’t funny._

“Shit Li, I think you broke him.” The man turned to Louis. “Maybe Jessica will help you feel better.”

“I--” Louis suddenly found himself with an armful of warm, fluffy bunny. _What._

Relinquishing the rabbit had uncovered the man’s name-tag, and Louis frowned hard at it – _Harry, orchid tent 3 –_ memorizing the details so he could report him for—well, for something.

Liam the security guard walked over to him and patted him consolingly on the shoulder. “Sorry Sir, really, but you need to be careful with these two. This is a big crowd and it’s not a good idea to leave them alone for too long.”

“Louis.” _Why did you tell him that?_

Liam frowned. “What?”

“My name. It’s Louis, not Sir.” _Why?_

Liam smiled happily at him. “Great! Well then Louis, please keep an eye on these two, we wouldn’t want them getting lost.” He nodded to the general interior of the tent and waved as he walked away. “Have a nice day then! Bye Harry!”

“Bye Liam!” Harry bellowed after him, still grinning broadly and in Louis opinion, far too cheerfully for someone at a flower show. “So who do we have here?” He asked, crouching down and smiling over at the twins with a quite frankly, goofy grin. Daisy bounced up to him, and the big man pretended to lose his balance, wind milling his arms around and pulling an exaggeratedly shocked face.

Louis dragged his gaze away and tried to shake off the residual tingles of adrenaline still making his fingers itch. He's far too young to have a heart attack. He should probably sue.

The twins giggled at their new entertainer, already charmed. Sadly, Louis hadn’t had time yet to teach them the proper way to behave around douchebags. “I’m Daisy, and this is Phoebe.”

“What beautiful names! Hmmm, Daisy, I think I can do that.” Harry reached behind him and brought his hand back with a large white daisy in it, holding it out to the delighted girl.

 _Oh for fucks sake._ Louis snorted. “What, so you’re a magician now? Did you pull the rabbit out of your ass?”

"Louis!" Daisy chided.

Harry smirked in that unfair way again and turned back to the girls. “I don’t have a Phoebe… hmmm...” Phoebe looked a little sad, and Louis mentally resigned himself to having to buy her something to make up for it. _Damn you Harry._

But apparently perfect Harry was going to be perfect again. “How about something to match the ensemble?” He asked, smiling at Phoebe’s enthusiastic nod. The hand went back and this time there was a beautiful purple flower that matched Phoebe’s trousers. “It’s a peony. Do you like it?”

“I love it!” Phoebe threw her arms around his neck, and when Daisy joined in the three of them tumbled to the floor, laughing happily.

 _Well that’s just not fair._ Louis looked on helplessly at this gorgeous, charming, _dick_ , who was apparently really good with children. _Not fair at all._

“I’ll just… I’d better… the rabbit.” He backed out of the tent hopelessly, leaving the three of them sitting on the floor and talking about flowers.

*

Once the rabbit was returned to a rather relieved Sarah, Louis took a few minutes to give himself a personal pep talk. It may have been a while since his last boyfriend, but he just needed to remind himself that he _didn’t date assholes._ No matter how pretty they were.

Even if they were good with children, and had gorgeous smiles, and... could do magic tricks… which Louis honestly had never thought of as a turn on until now.

 _Stay strong. He’s clearly a dick. Stay_ _strong_. No flower-wielding-weirdo got to tell him he looked good on his knees.  

He walked into the tent.

Harry was sitting cross-legged on the floor weaving delicate pink flowers into Phoebe’s pigtails, and Daisy was standing behind him, French braiding his brown – and apparently curly – hair.

Louis legs seized, stopped, and began backing steadily out. He wasn't going to play if Harry was going to _cheat._

“Don’t leave Louis."  _Shit._ "Daisy wants a flower crown and I don’t have enough hands.” Harry grinned up through dangerous, dark lashes, and Louis was 99% certain that there was makeup involved there, because there was no way that natural eyelashes were that thick, and now that he thought about it, natural lips weren't that pink either. _Shit._

He looked around frantically but there was nothing to save him. He was going to die here in this tent and his poor grandma would have to find him. He could see his tombstone now - _Killed by cute douchebag. His rest will never be peaceful._ Louis scanned the tent again. _Wait, no! Grandma!_

He smirked triumphantly. “Sorry to spoil your bonding time but it’s nearly three. Daisy, Phoebe say goodbye, we have to leave.”

"Yes Louis!" Two voices echoed. The twins jumping quickly up off the floor.  _Shit._ _Not good._ That had been far too easy. Louis fidgeted nervously, but there was really nothing he could do - he would find out what they were up to eventually.

Harry himself unfolded his long legs and stumbled gracelessly to his feet. Louis felt a small smile tug at his lips. _Not perfect at everything then are you?_

He took a step back as the man came closer. Happy green eyes stared at him, that cute smile masking the monster within.

_Don’t fall for it. The pretty ones are always the worst. Run. Fucking run!_

Louis stood stock still as Harry crowded into his space. The man smelled earthy, like fresh grass after rain and flowers. Louis took a deep breath, helplessly.

_Fuck._

Harry reached forwards, and oh, his hands were _huge._ He brought one up to Louis’ cheek and gently ran his thumb down it, frowning in concentration.

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck._ Louis was frozen. He'd been right. He was going to die here.

_Fuck._

The thumb stroked back and forth, rubbing gently over his cheek and Louis held his breath, his stomach twisting itself over and his face heating up.

“There.” Harry breathed into the space between them. His breath smelled like strawberries, and Louis wanted to taste it.

Harry stepped back with a laugh. “All done! You had mud on your cheek!”

The yelp Louis let out as he scurried out of the tent was undignified at best.  

*

“Louis met a booooyyyy.” Phoebe sing-songed as they waited for their gran to open the door.

“Oh really?” She smirked at him. “Tell me all about it girls.”

“He was a d—an _arse._ ” Louis jumped in, feeling his irritation rising. _A beautiful arse who smelled of woodlands and strawberries. A weird, goofy, pine-scented arse._

“He put flowers in my hair!” Phoebe squealed.

His gran snickered. “Awww, sounds like a nice young man pet.”

“He was a--” Louis’ phone beeped, cutting him off before he could say something that would get him in trouble.

“He wasn’t _nice_.” Louis hissed grumpily, “He said I looked like I spent lots of time on my knees!”

His gran tipped conspiratorially forwards to meet him, smirking. She waited for a few seconds, and Louis huffed in agitation, forcefully reminded of where he got his flare for the dramatics from.

Finally she grinned. “That’s because you’ve got mud on your trousers dear.”

_Oh.  
_

 Louis deflated.

_Shit._

He climbed slowly into the car, ignoring the twins' happy giggles and his gran's mocking smirk. Did he just run out on a seriously hot boy who was good with children and could do fucking  _magic..._ who actually thought he was _cute_?!

“Don’t worry Lou!” Daisy piped up from the backseat. “It’s meant to be!”

Louis frowned suspiciously at the twins as they chatted in the back. Perhaps he could find the boy on the flower festival website? He has _some_ information after all. _Harry. Orchid tent 3._ Or maybe he could skip classes and come back tomorrow? Surely the festival went on for another few days right?? He leant his head back and decided to treat himself to a really good sulk when he got home.

“Don’t be sad Lou.” Phoebe chirped happily. “It's fate!” She giggled.

Louis snorted.  _Fate._ It wasn't going to be fate. It was going to be him, google, a little bit of stalking, and a lot of luck.

He pulled out his phone and opened the message.

Unknown number. _Weird._

He stared at the message.

It didn’t change.

He stared at it some more.

 

_Unknown number_

_I think you make a pretty cute rabbit, H x  
_

 

The mocking laughter from the twins was totally worth it the first time that Harry came round. And the second.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This happens to me every year. Every. Single. Year. I get tricked by my gran into attending Malvern bloody flower show. 
> 
> Seriously.
> 
> And every year I go straight to the petting zoo, I sit my ass down, and I stroke some rabbits whilst my nephew breaks things and my sister buys orchids with increasing levels of debt.


End file.
